ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL — Two new studies published in November’s issue of the scholarly journal Pediatrics claim to have found links between viewing violent or erotic content and children’s behavior.In “Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings from a National Longitudinal Survey of Youth,” researchers used data from a national survey of teens aged 12 – 17 to assess whether exposure to sexual content on television predicted subsequent pregnancy in girls or responsibility for pregnancy in boys. The subjects were followed for three years.
According to the study’s authors, teens exposed to programming containing high levels of sexual content were twice as likely to experience a pregnancy, compared to teens with lower levels of exposure. Limiting teen exposure to sex in the media and balancing portrayals of sex with information about possible negative consequences might help to reduce the risk of teen pregnancy, the researchers concluded.
In the other study, “Longitudinal Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression in Japan and the United States,” researchers determined that regular exposure to violent video games predicted aggressive behavior among children and adolescents in both countries. To reach their conclusions, researchers monitored for one school year the behavior of more than 1,200 12 – 18-year-old Japanese students and 364 9 – 12-year-old U.S. students. The data was similar for both groups: Habitual violent video game play early in the year predicted later aggression, the researchers said. What’s more, according to the study’s authors, the more the children played violent video games, the more physically aggressive they became.
A previous, related study, “Linkages Between Internet and Other Media Violence With Seriously Violent Behavior by Youth,” indicated exposure to violence in the media — including games and music — may be associated with concurrent reports of serious violent behavior among children and teens.
According to the video game study’s lead author, the research represented the first time scientists examined the link between video games and violence in the U.S. He said comparing the U.S. results with the Japanese results was particularly telling, because although video games are much more pervasive in Japan than in the U.S., overall violent crime and aggression rates are lower. Among children, however, the study indicated virtually identical behaviors.
“When you find consistent effects across two very different cultures, you’re looking at a pretty powerful phenomenon,” Craig A. Anderson, a psychology professor at Iowa State University told The Washington Post. “One can no longer claim this is somehow a uniquely American phenomenon. This is a general phenomenon that occurs across cultures.
“We now have conclusive evidence that playing violent video games has harmful effects on children and adolescents,” he added.
